1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an amusement ride and more particularly, a multidirectional amusement device for raising a passenger vehicle into the air and permitting a limited free fall experience when the vehicle is released into a horizontal and vertical translation through a vector rotation.
2. Technical Background
Amusement park thrill seekers are no longer satisfied with the rides and roller coasters of the past. Owners of amusement parks and fun centers are increasingly upgrading their attractions to create a higher thrill level and more intense ride experience for their patrons. One way to increase the thrill of a ride is to add a “free fall” element to the ride or attraction. Some have attempted to do this with the use of bungee cords. However, repeated stretching of a bungee cord may break down the cord such that it performs at dangerous levels. Other rides may include parachute drops or other types of drops coupled with complex deceleration devices such as hydraulic brakes or friction breaking systems. These high tech breaking devices are quite complex and costly and require constant and vigilant maintenance to guard against fatal accidents.
One attraction that provides the illusion of free fall is the giant swing. Giant swings do not require complex breaking devices, and they can utilize cables that do not stretch and that are more predictable. One such giant swing device is taught in Kitchen U.S. Pat. No. 5,931,740. In the Kitchen patent however, each rider is only permitted to face in one direction during the flight of the swing, which reduces the amount of thrill factor involved in the ride. Further, the release mechanism must be manually operated. Other giant swing attractions are not efficiently raised and lowered and thus, can only accommodate lower numbers of patrons over a fixed period of time. This increases the cost of the ride. Still other giant swing devices have questionable safety systems for protecting ride patrons.
Accordingly, it would be an advancement in the art to provide an amusement device that allows the rider to safely rotate while moving in a multitude of directions. It would be a further advancement to provide such a device that maximizes the free fall element of the ride. It would be yet another advancement in the art to provide such an device that can efficiently accommodate larger number of riders. It would be yet another advancement in the art to provide such a device that has improved safety features. Such an amusement device is disclosed and claimed herein.